Author Topic: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler! (Read 7184 times)

BrianCRX90 · « **on:** November 27, 2005, 01:32:44 PM »

I hate these corporate bowling alleys tailoring for kids. It's obvious that these chain bowling alleys only want to tailor to kids and not leagues anymore. This is the reason at an AMF house my Friday night league got terminated, or as I say "kicked out" so they could make time for glow bowl. The league was small and the only one but I've never heard of an alley kicking out a league to please open play bowlers. At this alley I checked up on their revenue so to speak on a Friday I had off league bowling at another alley and I didn't see that many people in it. Mabey when you charge over 4.00 a game that may be why.

Now AMF isn't off the hook solely. Brunswick is as much to blame. This freakin "Brunswick Zone" Taco Bell Blockbuster Walgreens Home Depot look alike crap is phoney and ridiculous. Look at these so called pit areas. They put in tables and stationary chairs with cheap kiddy furniture and call this a bowling alley.

So I go to practice at a Brunswick alley. One that is close to my house never has a lane open on the weekend it seems cause it's too busy with Birthday parties and glow bowl. We wouldn't want the serious league bowler to practice or anything. So I go 30 miles north to another Brunswick alley and when it's usually not busy it's packed this first time. I only get one lane but to make it worse I'm placed next to a birthday party. After just ignoring it I throw a few shots and this moron teenager asks me if I am a professional. I told him "If I was a professional do you think I'd be bowling next to the likes of you?". Then glow bowl comes on. After awhile I just went with it but after 6 games I went to throw a shot and even though I check my shoes every shot I didn't feel it coming but I stuck so bad I bashed my knee on the approach. I got so mad I kicked the ball return as hard as I could and I just left.. I'm sick of this BULLSH|T from these bowling alleys. Unfortunately the choices of independent bowling alleys in this country much less my area is getting slim. They are real bowling alleys most of them and don't appease to KIDS. I hate bratty kids, I hate birthday parties, I hate cheap a$s pit areas and I hate glow bowl. And if you don't like this post, then up yours!

Edited on 11/28/2005 4:33 PM

Edited on 11/28/2005 4:34 PM

TWOHAND834 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2005, 09:55:03 PM »

Brian,

I totally agree with all you said. HOWEVER.....it isn't just the corporate centers doing this. The independents are starting to follow suit. I work at an independent in the Atlanta, GA area and they cater to kids as well. Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, it is cosmic bowling from basically noon until about 4:00. Then a small break during dinner hours, only to start it again later on in the evening. What is worse, is my center makes excuse after excuse as to why they do not oil their lanes on a regular basis, so practice is worthless unless you want the ball to hook at your feet. They oil once a day and usually at 5:00 before leagues start. Well, since I work the pro shop inside this dump, It is not as though I can go early before I work to practice because oil has not seen the lanes in almost 24 hours. Competitive bowling as a whole only has a few good years left because the centers are running us out for their own financial gain.
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Steven Vance
Atlanta (Buford), GA
Pro Shop Operator
Advanced Bowling Solutions

If anyone out there is worried about the scores being too high, try duckpin!!

stormerjip · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2005, 09:56:24 PM »

then y don't u just go and quit bowling cause a lot of these KIDS will potentially end up getting talked into leagues and then will be bowling beside u every week. You know how can u get mad for them catering to birthday parties when someone can bring in a big group do u expect them to stuff all on one or two lanes and just cater to your whining arse. I could be wrong but would think that when your trying to make money that you would take a group as to just a person or two on a lane. its not like these corporate centers are closed for very long most of the centers i know open in the morning and are open till early morning so ur saying that ur such a busy person that there is no other possible time that a league bowler can practice. So u know up mine then up urs for being such a whining little BRAT just like u hate and shut up and either bowl or quit chit just happens so deal with it. maybe im out of line but the two corporates that i spend a lot of time at oil the lanes 3 times a day at min start there glow late in the evening also u never specify what time u went in or how full they were u know maybe they had something coming in on the set no being used if its so far away. Why snap at an open bowler like that how is he to know it was a simple question and as bad as it may seem to u they feel like a 200+ is a good score. the corporates i go to even have the glow leagues it brings people in gets them to a league format and gets them interested in the sport and isn't that what its about trying to get more people to enjoy the game
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show no mercy, kill the wounded, eat the dead

The bowlers solution pro shop
inside amf arc lanes evansville, ind

formerly known as stormerjip

Edited on 11/27/2005 10:53 PM

BrunsMike · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2005, 10:33:18 PM »

Im reading some of these replies. Wow you guys need help. I can understand the lanes not being taken care of appropriatly (lack of oil) but, The place is just trying to keep themselves from going broke and having to shut down. If i owned an alley, id do the samething. As for bowling next to kids and them coming up to me, for 1, I use the kids as a distration buffer. If I can block them out of my mental game then I can block out any noises that can typically happen in the settee area during leauges. As for kids asking if Im a pro. I dont get rude to them because for 1, they could be the next Norm Duke, Tommy Jones, Earl Anthony........... you know what i mean here. When im practicing and I get a group of kids watching I will normally talk with them see if any of them like to bowl or are interested in doing a youth leauge.

If I was in your situation where the shot was dry and had kids near you. 1, id use the kids as a source of distration and tune them out. 2, id use the dry shot for spare shooting. 3, id interact with the kids more, never know whos the next future star of any sport or important person.

Just my take on this situation.

BrianCRX90 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2005, 10:51:37 PM »

Sorry for the harsh rant it's just I love bowling so much and to see the direction it's going on is disheartening to me. It's turning from a sport, which I 100% think it is into an activity like mini golf or skeet ball. Can't these kids go to Chuck E Cheese or something. I look inside my Brunswick alley and it's pathetic looking. It looks like Disneyland, not a bowling alley. I'm just waiting for the tickets you can win so you can win stuffed teddy bears. I don't like bumper bowling, I think it's bad for kids despite the arguments. I learned the hard way much like everyone else over 20 years old. The kids and teenagers that are the recreational bowlers will have less of a chance to join a league. I mean without bumpers, neon lights and music what's the point? Then I see one of my sanctioned leagues that is twice as small as the other league on the other side that is cheaper but is non sanctioned and it makes me sick. Mabey bowling needs to go down near extinction before it can grow again. I was hoping glow bowl would of died out 5 years ago but it's still alive and kicking and league membership is still declining. It's even hard to take league seriously anymore when people are allowed to bring food and drinks in the pit area...scratch that "bowlers area" ) there is no real pit area. This is how I bashed my knee yesterday cause of glow bowl I stepped in water but I couldn't see it. I'm waiting for the day when there is an alley that has no sanctioned leagues anymore. At the rate this sport is going, it is looking that way.

Edited on 11/27/2005 11:43 PM

Edited on 11/27/2005 11:44 PM

BrianCRX90 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 27, 2005, 10:58:15 PM »

quote:
then y don't u just go and quit bowling cause a lot of these KIDS will potentially end up getting talked into leagues and then will be bowling beside u every week.

You live in a fantasy, a fairytale. The kids nowadays are not going to join leagues. This isn't the 90's. YABA membership is way down. All kids care about is bumper bowling and glow bowl. The next generation of talented kids will not be better then mine or previous, they will be much worse...the little of these kids that will actully join YABA or an adult USBC league someday. Sanctioned future bowling is dead!

Steven · « **Reply #6 on:** November 27, 2005, 11:11:18 PM »

quote:
And if you don't like this post, then up yours!

I don't like your post, and I like your attitude even less. After you "kicked the ball return as hard as you could", you could have been banned from that house forever -- think about that the next time you consider going postal on a defenseless piece of equipment.

Now get your act together and consider the following. Houses need the big bucks open play on Friday/Saturday, so deal with it. In every area, there are quality leagues sometime during the Monday-Thursday night timeframe, so focus your energy there. As far as practice, there are almost always lanes to be found on Sundays.

Whatever you pursue, I hope it includes some form of anger management -- you really need it.
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"Yeah...what Jabroini said"

Walking E · « **Reply #7 on:** November 27, 2005, 11:22:05 PM »

quote:
I had this happen today. I practiced in a house that I'll be subbing for in a scratch league this coming Wednesday.

I show up at 11:45 (right after bowling on TV) and caught their $1 game special. Well, 15 minutes into bowling, out go the lights on come the disco music and about 10,000 kids suddenly appear out of nowhere. To make matters worse, the desk b!tch put them all by me. Plus. there's no oil out on the lanes and their f'd up as well.

I paid for 4 games, bowled two and then walked out. On the way past the desk (i was going to complain) the desk b!tch looked at me and said "no refunds". I gave her the one gun salute and walked out.

--------------------
Keep looking... I'm sure there's a 300 in one of those balls you keep buying!!

Inverted 1,
Were you at Rossmoor?
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Official Member of the BrunsTrackColumStormHammEboRotoBuzzAMF Nation!

Edited on 11/28/2005 0:12 AM

stormerjip · « **Reply #8 on:** November 27, 2005, 11:22:13 PM »

all im saying is that u are saying the bowling is dyeing but i don't see it. maybe the sanctioned but thats what happens bowling is still the most participated recreation sport in the country. a fairy tale whatever u think our leagues pick up bowlers anyway from these ones so what if they dont join the youth they are joining the adults and if u are so worried about the future of the sport why aren't u out there trying to help these bowlers give them tips and if everytime they ask a bowler a question and they just snap at them why would i want to join to spend more time with them. Me personally i would join and learn cause it would be that much sweeter when i take there money and they are over in a corner whining
--------------------
show no mercy, kill the wounded, eat the dead

The bowlers solution pro shop
inside amf arc lanes evansville, ind

formerly known as stormerjip

doubleraven · « **Reply #9 on:** November 28, 2005, 03:05:30 AM »

As an employee of a corporate center, Brunswick for those of you who care, I will be coming to their aid here. At my center, the league bowlers all know when the big cosmic aqnd birthday times are. You plan accordingly, and everyone can bowl and be happy. The pro shop is closed on Saturdays for this reason.

You mentioned that you could only get one lane? I see alot of bowlers who inisit that they by themselves need a pair, because God forbid that you only bowl on one. Whether you like it or not, a single open bowler is not the way to maximize profit , not when you can get a family of 5 on one of those lanes. And there are big bucks in birthdays. I am a "desk b****" as you put it, so I ring up the parties and they are almost all over $100, some can be several hundred. Saturdays, I work from around 4:15P-2A, and in those 10 hours, I do around $4000 of business. There are no leagues this night, just open and cosmic bowling.

Now, before you go and call me and my center coroporate sellouts, let me tell you this. All but one, myself included, of the desk personel are regular, competitive league bowlers. Our manager is a 230 average scratch (yes, they still exist) bowler, and our program director is usually compteting in around 3 leagues at a time. Our monday night challenge league, has a $20k+ prize fund. Mondays, as well as Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00, we do not have open bowling lanes, with the exception of maybe one pair, because all 40 lanes are running league. I personally bowl in two leagues, with a mid 180s average(I've been bowling seriously only a year), so don't go thinking I'm some two-finger recreation hack.

Brunswick, whether you like it or not, is very good to its league bowlers. We dish out free bowling like candy. Shoot x pins above average, or x score (based on average), and you get award coupons. Bowl in two or more fall leagues, or one summer one, and you get a gold card, good for 3 free games a day. The league rewards program allows you to get various discounts, based on the month. Any open play bowling, is a dollar off per game, during on weekdays during the daytime and on Sundays, its $.99/game after your free games.

I've heard many people say that the reason they bowl at our center, isn't because we have the latest or greatest, which we don't (center is more than 20 years old, so it has an old fashoned pit and AS/80 scoring, and old Anvilane), but rather, they bowl there because we are the most bowler friendly center.

You don't like the way we do things? Try running your center based only on league bowling and open bowling that caters only to league/tourny bowlers practicing. You'd be out of business in a month!

cgilyeat · « **Reply #10 on:** November 28, 2005, 05:10:44 AM »

quote:
I hate these corporate bowling alleys tailoring for kids. IIt's obvious that these chain bowling alleys only want to tailor to kids and not leagues anymore. This is the reason at an AMF house my Friday night league got terminated, or as I say "kicked out" so they could make time for glow bowl. The league was small and the only one but I've never heard of an alley kicking out a league to please open play bowlers. At this alley I checked up on their revenue so to speak on a Friday I had off league bowling at another alley and I didn't see that many people in it. Maybe when you charge over 4.00 a game that may be why.

Now AMF isn't off the hook soley. Brunswick is as much to blame. This freakin "Brunswick Zone" Taco Bell Blockbuster Walgreens Home Depot look alike crap is phoney and ridiculous. Look at these so called pit areas. They put in tables and stationary chairs with cheap kiddy furniture and call this a bowling alley.

So I go to practice at a Brunswick alley. One that is close to my house never has a lane open on the weekend it seems cause it's too busy with Birthday parties and glow bowl. We wouldn't want the serious league bowler to practice or anything. So I go 30 miles north to another Brunswick alley and when it's usually not busy it's packed this first time. I only get one lane but to make it worse I'm placed next to a birthday party. After just ignoring it I throw a few shots and this moron teenager asks me if I am a professional. I told him "If I was a professional do you think I'd be bowling next to the likes of you?". Then glow bowl comes on. After awhile I just went with it but after 6 games I went to throw a shot and even though I check my shoes every shot I didn't feel it coming but I stuck so bad I bashed my knee on the approach. I got so mad I kicked the ball return as hard as I could and I just left.. I'm sick of this BULLSH|T from these bowling alleys. Unfortunatly the choices of independant bowling alleys in this country much less my area is getting slim. They are real bowling alleys most of them and don't appease to KIDS. I hate bratty kids, I hate birthday parties, I hate cheap a$s pit areas and I hate glow bowl. And if you don't like this post, then up yours!

Sounds like somebody needs to gow up a little.

Yes, some of the corporate houses do place a lot of emphasis on open play, etc. but not all. I bowl in a 32 lane AMF center that is very focused on leagues. I sure part of the reason is because center manager is a former PBA member and understands bowling. If you want to practice in this center on week days, you need to come in before 5:00pm or after 9:00pm because most evenings, both shifts are full with leages. Tues there are no open play lanes after 5:00pm and on Fridays there is no open play until "Glow Bowling" at Midnight. Mon, Wed and Thurs, there are a few lanes available at 9:00, but nothing between 5 and 9pm. For the most part, Saturdays, after 11am, when the youth leagues get done (they take all 32 lanes) there is nothing but open play and birthday parties until 4:30 when the lanes are oiled for the 5:00 leagues, which take 28 of the 32 lanes. Sundays, mostly open play and birthday parties (after noon )until 5:00 when there are leagues.

So grow up and don't blmme it all on the parent corp. A good center manager can go a long ways in making sure that leagues are supported.

Edited on 11/28/2005 6:10 AM

star · « **Reply #11 on:** November 28, 2005, 06:23:51 AM »

Like a lot have said.
Great mental game workout. I love kids coming up to me when Im practicing. They love to see how to bowl correctly and they dont pester you so much if you have a laugh with them.
Glo bowling super practice for getting your approach correct and when you shoot 200+ you know its a good game. The amount of times Ive seen people down at the lanes shooting solely for scores in so called practice time is unbelievable. Ive been asked so many times how come you shoot 150's to 170's then all of a sudden the last 3 games are all well over 200 ? Use practice time wisely and dont get so hung up on having the perfect quiet, 2 lanes to yourself where no one bothers you. Doesnt happen every time in league so why expect it in practice?
As for dry lanes, use a plastic ball and see how good you can really throw a ball. Thats great practice something youd never get on a THS.
I do undestand what Brian means, but there are always positive ways to look at what you have. Just think you could be at work slogging your guts out. English slang I know but you get my point.
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Happy go lucky bowler from the UK

.
Did someone say tough luck

Want to learn to read lanes then visit:-
www.thebowlingprofessor44.com/

michelle · « **Reply #12 on:** November 28, 2005, 07:51:46 AM »

Businesses are in business for the business of making money. Remember that the AMF philosphy for quite some time has been to get roughly the same amount of money as the family of four would spend if they were to go to a movie theatre instead of the bowling center.

In the instance of league not being renewed in favor of glow bowl, there is more money in the glow bowl unless your league had been filling the house from lane 1 to lane last and spending quite a bit at the bar.

The reality is that league is not presently their bread and butter. Obviously, that tide is expected to turn at some point, but I have lost track of how long it has been since leagues filled the houses for two shifts (and sometimes three) per night.

Packed with birthday parties and glow bowl sounds like a house that doesn't need the league bowler coming in to suck up two lanes for practice in order to turn a profit.

As to the Dallas area, I thought I read somewhere that Chuck (Lande) was going to open a center that put some focus back on the serious bowler. Did those plans never come to fruition? If they didn't come to pass, then your options are to deal with the available options, quit bowling or arrange the financing to open what you perceive to be a financially viable facility (if you can find a lender that will stop laughing long enough to listen to "serious bowler" and "financially viable" in the same sentence).

sdbowler · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2005, 08:20:01 AM »

As far as your comment on the kids in the "glow bowl" or birthday parties not joining leagues that is a joke. I have seen it first hand when I was managing a center that many kids came in bowled in a birthday party and then wanted to join YABA league due to having fun with the party. So yeah this is a good way to turn kids onto joining a league. The "glow bowl" is another great way to get people to join, take a look at the amount of people that are doing this I am sure there have been many people that have joined leagues as a result of that.
If you don't like having one lane during practice and kids next to you then find out when they don't have birthday parties going on. We always told our league bowlers that on Saturday and Sunday between noon and 5 pm that is open play time if you want to come and practice all welcome but to only expect one lane and to be next to kids so they new ahead of time.
As far as centers catering to open play no matter what it is yeah more and more are doing it. Many are trying to do a 50/50 attitude towards everything. I always wanted to take care of my league bowlers but at the sametime take care of my open bowlers as well. You even said it yourself that league #'s are down. So with that in mind tell me how a center would recover that money they have lost due to leagues being down. The only way would be to have more birthday parties or large groups in or to do something like "glow bowl".
If you are someone who takes the sport serious then you need to help the sport and talk to the kids when they come up to you. Also you need to set the example kicking the ball return is not the way. If you would have done that in my center you would have been gone. That is one thing I did not take from anyone. So next time you start to whine about this put yourself into the owners shoes and figure out how to pay the bills. Or look at it as if 1/4 of your paycheck is gone and you still have to pay all your bills. That is what is going on with centers now days.

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Brunswick

BrianCRX90 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 28, 2005, 11:09:10 AM »

quote:

You mentioned that you could only get one lane? I see alot of bowlers who inisit that they by themselves need a pair, because God forbid that you only bowl on one.

uhhh...

It's not the end of the world to have only 1 lane but last I checked we still by USBC rules have to bowl on a pair in santioned league. This is what practice is about, learning to bowl on a pair to prepare for league and tornaments.

Author Topic: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler! (Read 7184 times)

BrianCRX90

Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

TWOHAND834

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

stormerjip

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

BrunsMike

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

BrianCRX90

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

BrianCRX90

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

Steven

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

Walking E

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

stormerjip

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

doubleraven

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

cgilyeat

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

star

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

michelle

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

sdbowler

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!

BrianCRX90

Re: Corporate bowling says screw the league bowler!